Ohio State 71, Michigan 52
File photo, but whatever. [Patrick Barron/MGoBlog]
Shannon Scott pickpocketed Zak Irvin in the backcourt after a lazy crossover. Caris LeVert tossed an inbounds pass directly to an awaiting Buckeye, not even bothering to look at his intended target.
Michigan's top two scorers spent much of the second half on the bench, not because they weren't needed—the Wolverines were, in fact, getting blown out—but because whatever minuscule chance of a win they'd give the team wasn't worth John Beilein not sending a message. This team would've had a hard enough time upsetting the Buckeyes with everything clicking; instead, after some hot shooting from Irvin kept M in it early, sloppy mistake after sloppy mistake compounded the familiar offensive woes that have plagued this team for much of the season.
Lengthy scoring droughts in both halves led to OSU doubling up Michigan early in the second half, and even the final 19-point margin wasn't representative of the gap between the two teams for most of the game. Before M even scored a point in the second half, they trotted out a lineup of Derrick Walton, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, Aubrey Dawkins, Kam Chatman, and Max Bielfeldt. It was no longer a contest, but a learning experience.
Let's hope the lesson sticks, because that was hard to watch.
January 14th, 2015 at 9:21 AM ^
Reading your various posts its obvious you dont understand basketball. But I like how you continue to speak on the matter anyway.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:10 PM ^
This team is so disappointing. Not even from a purely basketball standpoint, but their top 2 players looked disinterested. I really question Caris' leadership after tonight.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:16 PM ^
Just like undisputed national champion football.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:18 PM ^
Hey congratulations man. Your hard work in the weight room, watching film, and sweating through all those practices really paid off. Oh wait a minute, you didn't do shit and are just trolling based on the achievements of others. Carry on.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:28 PM ^
Being a fan is literally the definition of "celebrating the achievements of others."
January 13th, 2015 at 9:37 PM ^
delete
January 13th, 2015 at 9:35 PM ^
There's a difference between enjoying your university getting some recognition and talking shit to other people because you think random kids performing well athletically is somehow a personal achievement. That isn't being a fan. That's being pathetic.
January 14th, 2015 at 2:32 PM ^
Ok agreed smack talk on a rival board is pathetic. But you're honestly telling me you only want Michigan sports to do well because it makes Michigan the University look good? If that's the case, why don't you go tailgate a research seminar?
January 13th, 2015 at 9:39 PM ^
Unlocked.
P.S. OSU now has a one game winning streak against Michigan, after losing the previous three, all of them ending embarrassingly for one Aaron Craft.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:36 PM ^
I didn't understand the "just like football" chant, considering this is your first win in 4 tries against us.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:40 PM ^
Was he afraid of losing PT to this?
January 13th, 2015 at 11:42 PM ^
now he's in the doghouse at fla (a bad year for them too) and his minutes keep dwindling.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:19 PM ^
January 13th, 2015 at 9:28 PM ^
Jk, Ace. You're the best.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:28 PM ^
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January 13th, 2015 at 9:35 PM ^
We can hope for improvement, but the fact that this is still the same crappy team that they've been since NJIT makes me think that hope is misguided.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:33 PM ^
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January 13th, 2015 at 9:40 PM ^
IMO LeVert has the most to improve upon, drafted or not. We all know the physical skills are there but the mentality of rising to the occasion is lost.
Somewhat recently we had Burke, Hardaway, Stauskas, Robinson Jr. and McGary all with the ability to "take over" a game. LeVert isn't even close to that level. He's has to step up and be the man.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:43 PM ^
Being the man won't make Walton shoot better than 1/7 or teach Irvin how to not telegraph a pass or stop Amir Williams getting 20 dunks
January 13th, 2015 at 10:20 PM ^
I agree it's all about team ball but you can't ignore the fact that in past years we've had some sort of semblence of leadership. Everyone thought LeVert and maybe Walton would take that step this year and it hasn't surfaced yet.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:58 PM ^
January 13th, 2015 at 10:23 PM ^
Yeah, I was mostly refering to his Purdue game lol. But you get my point.
January 14th, 2015 at 8:05 AM ^
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January 13th, 2015 at 10:11 PM ^
Soooo I totally dislike that we are now contributing to the greatest week in Columbus in a decade. Bad enough that those morons couldn't have cared less if they lost by 50 to us tonight, but we had to go and get blown out by them too.
On the plus side, maybe they'll be so excited that they'll drink themselves to death
January 13th, 2015 at 10:11 PM ^
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January 13th, 2015 at 11:35 PM ^
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January 14th, 2015 at 1:18 AM ^
January 14th, 2015 at 9:18 AM ^
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January 14th, 2015 at 12:07 AM ^
Since Dec 1 (11 games), the following 3 pt shooting %
Levert 35%
Irvin 30%
Walton < 30%
Spike 30%. Spike has made a 3 in only 4 of the last 11 games.
These are all huge drop offs from last year. As a group they shot over 40% from 3.
January 14th, 2015 at 12:23 AM ^
Caris, Spike,Derrick shoot a number of 3s off the dribble
97 % of Zak's 3s off of passes. He has no excuse.
January 14th, 2015 at 10:21 AM ^
January 14th, 2015 at 3:41 PM ^
Without consistent scoring threats, it is far too easy for the defense to cheat and shut our scorers down. We have no off-the-dribble threats (LeVert's handle has always been questionable) and no guys who can create down low. Lacking shooters, lacking athletes - the cupboard is bare after the last 2 years of departures.
I think Duncan Robinson has tremendous potential - he's another Stauskas from 3-pt range. But he alone isn't going to be enough. Most glaring weakness is quick, athletic bigs who can intimidate defensively and get offensive boards. We need another McGary, another JMo and another GR3. The current "leaders" lack emotional intensity. They're playing in pajamas, not tuxedos.
January 14th, 2015 at 12:53 AM ^
I don't understand how you don't come pumped up playing your rival! OSU is 4th best team in the B1G! It looks to be along season for basketball! We need some big men who can rebound and block shots!
January 14th, 2015 at 1:17 AM ^
January 14th, 2015 at 6:51 AM ^
January 14th, 2015 at 8:11 AM ^
January 14th, 2015 at 10:42 AM ^
"It just seems like Beilein is not aggressively pursing these kids."
Without internal knowledge of the recruiting process, you have no fucking idea what you are talking about. You are just merely jumping to conclusions and missing your target by a long shot.
January 14th, 2015 at 4:36 AM ^
Hire Shaka Smart.
Beilein's system sucks. Pittsnogle/Burke/GR3/Stauskas/McGary/Hardaway just covered his ass.
January 14th, 2015 at 6:50 AM ^
January 14th, 2015 at 7:05 AM ^
January 14th, 2015 at 7:47 AM ^
Want to talk about a system that sucks? The Havoc sucks.
January 14th, 2015 at 4:59 PM ^
We're NEVER going to win a national championship with Beilein at the helm.
You fucking kool-aid drinkers can keep slurping him all you like, but it won't change the fact that he & his bullshit perimeter system flat-out suck.
Why do you think that guys who are obviously not NBA ready keep leaving? It's because they know his system sucks and they'd rather ride NBA pine, than suffer in that system any longer than they have to.
Also, why can't this genius recruit any bigs with talent?
Hate away assholes.
January 16th, 2015 at 9:53 AM ^
If you're going to freak out on Beilein then at least pick a better example of someone to aspire to than Shaka Smart.
January 14th, 2015 at 9:20 AM ^
January 14th, 2015 at 9:27 AM ^
for them. The attrition has finally caught up to them. I did expect more from this team this year, but our interior play could be the worse it has ever been since Belein has been here. I am willing to give the coaching staff a free pass this year, but I really would like to see some improvement by the end of the year.
January 14th, 2015 at 9:29 AM ^
I think this team (and specifically guys like LeVert, Irvin, and Albrecht) suffer a little from a Burke/Stauskas hangover. Dakich (I know, I know) mentioned something similiar, but instead of focusing on the basics and just making solid fundamental plays, they seem to want to get into individual showtime mode (Spike's no look, two handed over the head pass to nobody, LeVert's up and under, wild lay up attempt, etc.). It worked when Stauskas and Burke were here because they had the skills to actually make those plays consistently, but I'm not sure the current team does (or at least not to that extent). I'd like to see them focus on the basics a little more.
January 14th, 2015 at 2:16 PM ^
In defense of Caris, that wild lay up attempt was WAY easier than simply laying it in or f'in DUNKING it. Unfreakinbelievable
January 14th, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^
A lot of overreaction
This is a team that plays great at home and is learning to play on the road due to youth. Right now I see 10 wins but I expect us to be much better on the road in February and pick up a big 11th win.
Derrick is the guy who let us down. It allowed OSU to throw the defense ar Levert and made Irvin try to make plays he could not (4 passes = 4 to). Amir Williams also just out athlete Doyle. Not many teams have bigmen except Purdue, Wisconsin and OSU. We will be fine.
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